The desolate, dead-silent expanse of black-brown rock stretched across the endless mountain range. At the base of the peaks yawned an abyss, like the monstrous maw of a fiend, bottomless and leading to an unknown destination.

A bone-chilling cold emanated from that chasm, the frigid air condensing into milky-white plumes of vapor. These clouds hovered above the abyss, swirling and scattering with every gust of wind, causing everyone present to tremble involuntarily.

The Nine Layers of Ice and Fire Abyss, situated within the Tianqi Mountain Valley, was the strangest locale imaginable. It was utterly devoid of human presence; for years, not only ordinary folk but even powerful cultivators of the Heaven Master realm dared not venture here. This place was the most perilous corner of the Five Elements Continent—desolate, cold, and utterly devoid of any trace of life.

Where the Heaven and Earth elemental energy was thin, no exotic flora or rare grasses could flourish, nor could Origin Stones ever be nurtured. A place offering no benefit whatsoever to a cultivator’s progress would naturally see no visitors.

Yet, today, within this secluded valley of Tianqi Mountain, one man sat cross-legged, suspended above the chilling, smoky clouds rising from the Ice and Fire Nine Layers Abyss.

The extreme cold slowly seeped into every pore of his being, seemingly intent on freezing him into solid ice. But under this merciless chill, his complexion remained rosy, his expression utterly serene, as if he were immersed in a beautiful dream.

Threads of strange power began to release from his body, slowly descending into the Nine Layers of Ice and Fire Abyss below. Influenced by the power emanating from him, a series of howling gusts echoed from the depths.

After a long, long pause, the man in the vapor slowly opened his eyes. Still cross-legged and suspended there, he looked up toward the summit of Tianqi Mountain and smiled faintly, saying, "You have arrived."

One by one, super-powerful experts, each radiating immense auras, descended from the peak of Tianqi Mountain.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Mountains of various rare and unique treasures flew out from their sleeves, scattering across every corner of the secluded valley.

The vast valley was already piled high with all sorts of marvels: withered old trees bearing sinister-looking fruit, stones that roared while ceaselessly shifting color, and even dragon tendons stripped from a Flood Dragon.

A dazzling array of cultivation materials littered every inch of the valley floor. The valley pulsed with variegated light as disparate forces converged, rendering the atmosphere within chaotic.

Among the myriad materials spread across the ground, the most numerous were the huge, multicolored stones. These stones all shimmered brilliantly. Some were as small as a fingertip, while the largest covered several acres. Uncarved, they already displayed various specific forms—some resembling monstrous beasts, others taking the shapes of bizarre, otherworldly lifeforms.

"How goes it?" Xiao Xing asked, simultaneously taking out various strange stones from his sleeve.

"My internal Origin Power is about ninety percent recovered, and my mental power is completely restored. With another half-day, I should reach the Peak of Several Summits realm," Xiao Xing replied, glancing at Li Hentian. "Uncle Li, has your task been resolved?"

Li Hentian nodded. "Thanks to the help from the Qianhe Sea Region—the six great families of the region deployed their full strength, aided by the Sea Clan—we managed to destroy that Spatial Turbulence Domain."

"Uncle Li, you've worked hard," Ji Changkong murmured, looking towards the direction of the Gray Mist Mountain Range with a trace of worry. "I wonder how Grandfather is doing? You’ve already run to the East Sea and returned, yet he hasn't shown up. He must have run into trouble."

"Changkong, don't worry. Two days ago, Dick, along with one of my sisters, went to the Gray Mist Mountain Range under Gui Rong’s guidance. There shouldn't be too much trouble," Lan Fen said with a gentle smile. After these past few days of interaction, her form of address for Ji Changkong had become noticeably warmer and more familiar.

"Yes, with Dick and your sister there, things should be fine," Ji Changkong sighed in relief.

The Gray Mist Mountain Range was another of the most mysterious regions on the Five Elements Continent. It was the place where coiled, vengeful ghosts dwelled, and where the Ghost Demon King was first gestated.

After being frightened off by him in Xuanyuan Valley last time, the Ghost Demon King hadn't reappeared for a long period. There had also been no news of the Demon King in the East Sea for quite some time. Ji Changkong suspected the Ghost Demon King had likely returned to the Gray Mist Mountain Range.

After all, the Gray Mist Mountain Range was the Demon King’s true birthplace; the various mystical locales there would surely be far more useful to it.

A Spatial Turbulence Domain of the Five Elements Continent lay within the Gray Mist Mountain Range. His maternal grandfather was heading there to destroy that domain, meaning he might encounter the Ghost Demon King. Fortunately, his grandfather's cultivation realm was high, so Ji Changkong wasn't overly concerned about his safety, only fearing he might get entangled with the Demon King.

Time was pressing. He needed to change the continent's situation in the shortest possible time. Only when the Five Elements Continent was free of lingering threats could he focus on matters beyond.

Hearing that Dick and one of Lan Fen's sisters had gone to the Gray Mist Mountain Range eased his mind. He was aware of Dick's power and the marvelous nature of his abilities, and Lan Fen's sister was at the Peak of Nine Palaces Heaven realm. With those two assisting, the issue in the Gray Mist Mountain Range should be resolved.

"What's the situation on the continent?" Ji Changkong asked Xiao Xing with a smile after a moment's thought. "Is the entire world calling me tyrannical and ruthless? More insane and domineering than all the Xuanyuans combined?"

Xiao Xing, Chen Qisen, and the others stood silently.

"During this period, our Xuanyuan Valley has aggressively seized everything. We've confiscated the foundational treasures of many sects and factions and directly excavated the treasures buried beneath others. Xuanyuan Valley has now become the continent's biggest gang of robbers. If not for our overwhelming strength, this undertaking would have been impossible," Xiao Xing chuckled awkwardly, glancing at Lan Fen beside him with a flicker of awe in his eyes.

In recent days, Lan Fen and her two sisters had been of immense help, resolving countless problems for Xuanyuan Valley. Wherever they went, simply revealing their identity caused many sects and families to immediately behave, even daring not to resist.

Feihua was one of the eight supreme forces in the Solar Star Domain. The arrival of the Flower Queen of Feihua—as long as people had heard of Feihua, they immediately settled down.

Their fear of Feihua even surpassed their fear of Xuanyuan Valley!

The eight supreme forces of the Solar Star Domain possessed an ingrained, towering might that Xuanyuan Valley could not yet match.

"Changkong, I worry… that if one day you are no longer in Xuanyuan Valley, the Ji Family will suffer the same fate as before, being besieged by the entire world," Mo Yunyi said with a troubled expression and a strange look. "Truly, the ways of the world are unpredictable. I never imagined the Ji Family could reach such heights. Changkong, I don't wish for the Ji Family to be annihilated again as it was before."

Ji Changkong smiled, reassuring her. "Granny Mo, rest assured, history will not repeat itself. I have already fulfilled the trust of the Four Sacred Beasts without even reaching the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven realm, so you need not fear my sudden disappearance."

Pausing, Ji Changkong glanced at Xiao Xing, Xiao Poshan, and the Chen family members beside him, then looked at Han Feng, Gui Hai, Meng Gang, and their group. "The current strength of Xuanyuan Valley far exceeds what those people imagined. Even if the entire world attacked Xuanyuan Valley now, I wouldn't be afraid! With Asura King and Cao Xuanqi returned, this world is still ruled by our Xuanyuan Valley!"

Such arrogance was supported by formidable power.

With the arrival of the three from Feihua, the help of Dick and Auntie Shang Bing, the presence of Gu Da and Li Hentian, coupled with his own ever-increasing strength, in a little while longer, experts from the Jinwang Mountain and the Shang Family would also enter the Five Elements Continent.

Once this collective force was integrated, not only on the Five Elements Continent, but even within the Solar Star Domain itself, Xuanyuan Valley would stand supreme, becoming a new, formidable power in the Solar Star Domain, potentially even replacing the status of Tianlu and Death Alliance!

This was a colossal ambition burning in his heart.

In order to transform the dead stars of the Solar Star Domain into living ones, to benefit the future descendants of the Star Domain, and to ensure that the life-bearing stars no longer suffered devastating blows, he needed this—he needed to elevate Xuanyuan Valley above all other powers!

Only when Xuanyuan Valley became the single strongest entity in the Solar Star Domain could he cooperate with the Dark Star Race to change the Star Domain, reviving the nearly extinct living stars. His motive was for the well-being of all beings, thus he could act without a guilty conscience.

Even when aggressively seizing cultivation materials across the Five Elements Continent, he felt no moral burden, because everything he did was for the entire Solar Star Domain, for generations yet to come!

His conscience was clear!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The cold wind howled; a fierce gale seemed to arrive suddenly. An uncharacteristic, chaotic wind erupted in this valley.

As the strong wind swept in, those with deep cultivation suddenly sensed the Heaven and Earth elemental energy here slowly changing. The valley, which should have been extremely barren, was now unconsciously seeing an influx of ever-increasing elemental energy from all directions.

"Changkong, this… what is this?" Xiao Xing and Mo Yunyi, along with the others, looked utterly confused and bewildered. Even Lan Fen and Shang Bingjie were quite astonished. Sensing the dense elemental energy gathering from all sides, Lan Fen exclaimed in surprise, "Changkong, are you gathering the Heaven and Earth elemental energy? When you said this place would undergo a massive change, did you mean this?"

"Not only this," Ji Changkong smiled. "Don't worry, all of this is within my expectations. This current change is merely the beginning. While we were preparing, others were also slowly making preparations."

"You said someone would help you refine the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array? Is that really true?" Shang Bingjie blinked, asking strangely, "Are there still powerful Heaven Masters on your Five Elements Continent?"

"Not Heaven Masters, but they possess powers far greater than ours," Ji Changkong replied with a slight smile.

"Changkong, in that case, what percentage of the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array's power can be unleashed?" Lan Fen suddenly recalled something and gasped.

"Thirty percent."

"Heavens! Didn't you say before that it could only manifest ten percent?" Lan Fen covered her mouth in shock. "If that's the case, do you really have a chance to destroy all the experts of Tianlu and Death Alliance in Misty Island in one go?"

"The possibility is very high. Haha!" Ji Changkong grinned, his eyes dazzling with light.